Illuminated advertising sign



Aug. 8, 1933. Q JOHNSON 1,921,570

ILLUMINATED ADVERTISING SIGN Filed May- 24, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 C-OEfoluz son Wy M Aug. 8, 1933- c. u. JOHNSON ILLUMINATED ADVERTISING SIGN Filed May 24, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet" 2 swan/Mica aazfokiw'on 1933- c. u. JOHNSON ILLUMINATED ADVERTISING SIGN 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 24, 1932 34 w WM 7 WM Patented Aug. 8, 1933 ILLUMINATED ADVERTISING SIGN Claude -U. Johnson, Columbus, Ohio, assigno r to P. F. Yoerger Sign Company, Columbus, Ohio, a. Corporation of Ohio r Application May 24.1932. Serial No. 613,235 Claims. (01.49 126) This invention relates to an illuminated advertising or display sign wherein the illuminated area thereof presents the appearance of 'a bottle containing an effervescent beverage, and it is an 5 object of 'the invention to provide means for constantly illuminating in auniform and effec tive manner the bottle and beverage representing area so that the latter will stand outin relief I I from the front opaque wall of thesign insuch a prominent and natural manner as to attract attention and, in effect, compel observation thereof.

Another object of the invention resides in a sign of the character specified wherein novel means are provided for efiecting the illumination of the bottle and beverage representing medium and to produce therein the optical effect or il-. lusion of gas bubbles passing upwardly through the bottle and/or its beverage representation,

whereby to animate the sign and place emphasis on the charged or effervescent character ofthe beverage advertised by'the sign and attract a greater degree of attention thereto than if the bottle area were but uniformly or statically illuminated. l

Y Another object of the present invention is to provide an advertising sign of novel formation and construction which may be produced at a relatively low cost. g

A further object rests'in the provision of a sign having the above features which. may be "used for indoor advertising of various bottled beverages or which, when in larger form, may be used for "outdoor advertising and wherein the design is such that the sign may be secured in a desired. position upon' the, display surface of a billboard without changing theconstruction of the billboard or injuring or marring the latter.

Various other objects andadvantagesof the present invention will be apparent from the followingdescription of advertising signs embodying-the invention and for which purpose reference is made to the accompanying drawings,

which illustrate several forms or examples 'of such anadvertisingsign.

In the drawings:- Fig." 1 is a perspective view of the improved bottled beverage advertising sign comprising one 5 of the preferred forms of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the sign;

Fig. is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through the sign;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing a modified for m" of the invention wherein the animating member partakes'of the form of an endless belt;

Fig, 5 is a rear elevation of the structure disclosed in Fig. 4; V

1 Fig. 6is a horizontal sectional View on the line Fig. '7 is a detail vertical closing on an enlarged scale the construction of the illuminatedbottle simulating member;

Fig. 8 is a verticalsectionalview through a further modifiedform of the sign;

Fig. 9' is a transversesectional view on the line Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view of the construction disclosed in Fig. 8.

Referring moreparticularly to the form of the invention disclosedin Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the body or casing of the sign. This casing may be of any suitable box-like design adapted for the reception sectional view disof the mechanism of the sign and may be formed from any suitable materials-in various sizes or arranged in registration with and mounted in front ofthe opening 3 is the illuminated member 4' of the sign. In-this instance, the member '4 in this instance, is provided with r ing substantially to the shape of the bottle em- "ployed for holding an advertised beverage, and

comprises substantially the form of a onej-half part of a bottle, Many nationally advertised beverages are sold or distributed in bottles of distinctive configuration so that a purchaserby a mere glance at the bottle, may by its shape identify the beverage usually dispensed'therein, and, in this instance, the member 4, as above stated,

is formed to comprise a one-half part of such a bottle, although it will be understood that it may be of'any desired configuration, Whether common or distinctive. Preferably, the interior or inner surfaces 5 of the member 4 haveapplied thereto a coating 6 of paint, lacquer, varnish or the like, possessing a coloration corresponding to that of the bottle or of the beverage tobe advertised, for instance, red, green, orange, etc., whereby when the member is illuminated, the desired'color will be imparted to the bottlerto effect the representation or illusion of a beverage therein. The bottom of the casing 1 may be provided with a on thecoating 6 provided on the inner surfaces an animating disk 8.

the appearance of gas bubbles. of the rotation of the animating member 8, these strong light spots or bubbles present the illusion shelf 7 on which the lower portion of the bottle half rests and is secured in desired relationship to the front surface of the panel 2 and its opening 3. The outstanding feature of the present invention resides in not merely illuminating the bottle but in providing means by which is imparted to the bottle, when it is illuminated, the effect of upwardly moving gas bubbles'in order to emphasize the effervescent character of the beverage to impel a greater degree of attention to the.

illuminated features of the sign and at the same time presenting a pleasing natural appearance whereby to generally increase. its advertisihg value.

Rotatably mounted in the casing 1, in registration with the bottle simulating member 4 is Preferably this disk is formed from a relatively translucent material such as paper, celluloid or the "kc and in cross section, the disk presents a somewhat oval or elliptical configuration so that it approximately conforms to the horizontal cross sectional configuration of the member 4. One side of the wheel or disk 8 is open as at 9 for the reception of one or more incandescent lamps 10, the single lamp shown being mounted in connection with a socket 11 carried by one of the side walls of the casing. Due to the fact that the animating member is formed from translucent materials, the light derived from the lamp 10, or other equivalent source, readily passes through the walls of the member 8 to illuminate generally the bottle simulating member 4.

The wheel or disk 8 is mounted in this instance in connection with a stud shaft 12 rotatably mounted in bracket bearings '13 carried by one of the inner walls of the casing. The shaft 12 is provided with a worm gear 14 which meshes with a worm 15 carried by a counter-shaft 16-. In this instance the shaft 16 is equipped with a sheave wheel 1'7 aroundwhich passes a belt 18, the latter being also trained over the sheave wheel carried by the shaft of a small electric motor 19.

The animating disk or wheel 8 is provided with a number'of spaced-perforations 20in the peripheralregions thereof through which light from the lamp 10 may pass directly without being intercepted anddiffused by the-walls of thedisk or wheel. Thestrong light which passes through the perforations 20 is directed in spaced beams of" the bottle simulating member 4 and these beams are viewable from the exterior of the sign, the effect thereof being to'impart to the object Then. by reason ofaneffervescent or gas-charged beverage. Thus the bottle member 4 isgenerally illuminated to a substantially uniform degree throughout the entire height thereof and, in addition, the concentratedzor direct light beams of a stronger and more readily discernible nature in a state of movement. are developed by which-the illusion is. perfected.

Similar. ends may be attained by the employmerit of the construction illustrated in Figs. 4. to

'7 inclusive. In this form of the invention, which is used chiefly for outdoor. advertising, and whereinthe sign is adapted to be placed in vertical order on fiat surfaces, such as bulletin boards,

, wallsandthelike, the casing 1a is comparatively shallow with. respect to the height of the sign so that the bottle simulating member 4a will not project too far beyond a given base surface nor will it be necessary to cut or mutilate the base surface in order to mount the same. In this form of the sign, the member 4a, instead of being formed from glass, is preferably made from a non-breakable material such as wire screen, as indicated at 21. This screen is coated'with a translucent gelatinous substance 22 through which light may pass in a manner comparable to a translucent glass. The animating member 8a takes the form of an endless belt, which may be formed from paper, fabric, celluloid or other similar materials after the manner of the disk 8. The belt 8a passes around drums 23, rotatable in connection with horizontal shafts 24. One of thesedrums may be driven by an electric motor 25 through wor m'gearing 26, worm gearing being preferably employed because of its simplicity and convenience in reducing high motor speeds. The belt 8a is provided with perforations 200; through which light, obtained from spaced lamps 27, passes without being intercepted by the material of the belt. These light beams directly contact with the member 4a and produce the effect of upwardly moving gas bubbles, giving a very real- 1 istic effect of beverage effervescence.

V In the form of the invention disclosed inFigs. 3, 9 and 10, the sign is particularly used for outdoor advertising, for example, as when applied to bulletins or large scale painted surfaces such of a cylinder arranged to rotate about a vertical axis. The cylinder is carried by a suitable frame and has provided therein a helical slot 31 the cylinder being generally formed from parchment paper or its equivalent. The lower end of the cylinder is connected by a shaft 32 with an operating motor 33. Inthis instance, the connec- 'tion', for convenience in illustration, has been shown as of the direct variety although it willbe appreciated that speed reducing. gearing of, for

instance, the type shown in Fig; 5, maybe used if,

found desirable. Within the cylinder, there is mounted a plurality of incandescent lamps 10b which are employedto illuminate the sign as a whole and may be provided with associated'reflectors 34 to direct thelight thereof forwardly through the bottle'member 4. V

The lamps. 101) are supported. in a stationary frame 35 arranged within the rotating'cylinder 8b. The frame is suspended'within said cylin with a collar 38 constituting a rotating bearing for the upper frame member of the cylinder 81). The current conveying, leads for the lamps 10b may pass through theitubular shaft 36*to the respective sides in which. the lamps 10b are contained. The frame 35, in frontof the lamps 10b;

and within. the cylinder 8?), is provided with a translucent shield 39 of arcuate-formation, and this shield is formed with'vertically extending slots 40 through which light, emanating from the lamps 10b; may directly-pass. It will be seen that as-the cylinder 82) rotates, the helical slot der by means ofa tubular shaft 36 carried 'by' all 31 formed therein will register with the vertical slots 40 to produce openings through which the light rays may pass and be directed upon the bottle 4, producing the illusion of upwardly moving gas bubbles.

What is claimed is:

' 1. An advertising sign for bottled effervescent beverages, comprising a casing having an opening formed in the forward wall thereof, a translucent member of bottle configuration positioned exteriorly of said casing andin registration with said opening, a sourceof'light arranged within said casing, a perforated animating member movably mounted within said casing, and means for imparting motion to said animating member whereby to direct a plurality of localized strong light beams upon said translucent bottle resembling member to simulate the appearance of upwardly moving bubbles in a represented beverage.

2. In an illuminated advertising sign, a casing provided with an opening in a forward wall, a translucent bottle section arranged in front of said casing in registration with said opening, said section being internally coated to represent a beverage, means for statically illuminating said bottle section to a relatively low uniform degree, and cooperative means for imparting an animated higher degree of illumination to said botle section to simulate the appearance of ascending gas bubbles in the beverage portrayed thereby.

3. In an illuminated advertising sign, a casing provided with an opening in the forward wall thereof, a translucent receptacle section ar- 3 ranged in front of said casing in registration with said opening, said section being internally coated to represent a beverage, means for statically illuminating ,said receptacle section to a relatively low uniform degree, and cooperative means for imparting a higher degree of illumination to said receptacle section to simulate the appearance of ascending gas bubbles in the beverage portrayed thereby.

4. In an illuminated advertising sign, a casing provided with an opening in its forward wall, a

beams upon said translucent member to simulate the appearance of upwardly moving bubbles in a represented beverage.

5. In an illuminated advertising sign, a supporting structure having an opening therein,la translucent receptacle section arranged in registration with said opening, an endless belt mounted for vertical movement within said structure,

said belt being offa translucent character and ,formed with perforations therein, a source of light arranged back of said belt, and means for imparting motion to said belt whereby to direct a plurality of localized strong light beams upon said translucent receptacle section to simulate the appearance of upwardly moving bubbles in a-represented beverage.

- CLAUDE U. JOHNSON. 

